Sarah G. Epstein

Sarah G. Epstein, "a daughter of Pathfinder International's founder, Dr. Clarence J. Gamble, has been an active member of the board of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC (PPMW). A volunteer for PPMW, she has counseled women on the maternity wards at the District of Columbia General Hospital and has spoken to many groups, particularly adolescents, on family planning. Ms. Epstein is a former member of the board of the Population Institute, The Centre for Development and Population Activities, and of World Learning. She currently serves on the boards of the Federation for American Immigration Reform and Population Services International. She has traveled widely in developing countries.


 * Emeritus Director, Pathfinder Fund

Epstein and Quinacrine Sterilization (QS)
Ms. Epstein and her husband, Donald Collins, founder of International Services Assistance Fund (ISAF) and their team have received permission for a Phase III trial of Quinacrine Sterlization (QS). The trial was put on clinical hold in 2007 because of a disputed rat study. However, earlier concerns about increased ectopic rates and carcinogenicity have not been borne out by the data so far accumulated. Globally, more than 170,000 women in over 40 countries have chosen QS as their method of permanent contraception, with no life-threatening side effects and no deaths reported. Currently, ISAF is documenting QS use and results in Vietnam, China, and Chile to petition FDA to allow resumption of the Phase III trial.